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THE UK GOVERNMENT is set to bring forward legislation on the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said late on Monday that the Government would introduce the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill on Tuesday.
It comes the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Northern Ireland in a bid to restore power-sharing, amid ongoing fall-out over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Johnson was met with a demonstration in Hillsborough, Co Down, as campaigners objected to his Government’s proposals.
There was outrage last year when the Government unveiled proposals to offer an effective amnesty for Troubles offences.
As revealed in the Queen’s Speech last week, the plan appeared to have been tweaked in response to the almost universal opposition to the original proposals.
The latest plans will see immunity offered to some depending on their co-operation with a new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
The new body aims to help individuals and family members to seek and receive information about Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries.
It is also designed to produce a historical record of what is known in relation to every death that occurred during the Troubles.
The proposals leave open the route of prosecution if individuals are not deemed to have earned their immunity.
May 17th 1974: Today is the 48th anniversary of The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings. Thirty-three civilians and a full-term unborn child were murdered with almost three hundred injured. The single worst day of ‘The Troubles’ in terms of human loss. #NoStatuteOfLimitations #NoAmnesty pic.twitter.com/x2FJjyRbI7
— Stephen Travers (@MiamiShowband) May 17, 2022
More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, including over 1,000 members of the security forces.
Most of the deaths are attributed to republican paramilitaries while 30% are blamed on loyalist paramilitaries, and 10% attributed to the security forces.
‘No automatic access’
Lewis said there would be “no automatic access to immunity” as part of the plan.
“The years of the Troubles were an awful period in our history with tragic loss of life across communities.
“After the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, challenging compromises were rightly made in support of the peace process – addressing the legacy of the Troubles comprehensively and fairly is another such step forward.
“The current system is failing; it is delivering neither truth nor justice for the vast majority of families. It is letting down victims and veterans alike.
“Every family who lost a loved one, no matter who they were, will be provided with more information than ever before about the circumstances of their death.
“A robust and independent investigations process will be at the heart of this approach, supported by an ambitious and comprehensive oral history programme that will allow people to tell their stories and share their experiences.
“It is right that those involved in an investigation cannot obtain something for nothing.
“Immunity will be provided to individuals who cooperate, which provides the best route to give victims and their families answers they have sought for years as well as giving our veterans the certainty they deserve.”
Lewis also confirmed plans to commission an “official history” of the Troubles, which the Northern Ireland Office described as offering an “authoritative and in-depth examination” of UK Government policy in the region during the decades-long conflict.
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ISS is visible several times every year from Ireland
Download the NASA app and go to missions / sighting opportunities and it will tell you exactly where in the sky to watch and the correct time & date.
The ISS passes over Ireland hundreds of times a year. The journal is abit late with this story, for the past week it’s passed directly over us twice every evening .
ISS SPOTTER is a great App if anyone is interested. Tells you when, tells where from and the direction. Makes it very easy to watch out and track it.
22nd, 6:26 pm and 8:04 pm
23rd. 7:15pm
24th 6:26 pm
26th. 6:25pm
Clear sky is only requirement.
Eyesight is also a requirement
You can also get email alerts set up for a certain town/area, I set it up and I’ve seen the space station many times overhead!! All we need is a few clear nights :)
Despite the couple of red thumbs, that made me laugh a wee bit Eddie
how do you set that up Arianna??…..
I can’t remember exactly how I did it,it was a while ago, but this is the email address I receive them from so I’m sure if you google spot the station or go to the nasa website you should be able to find the link, sorry I can’t be of more help! spotthestation@mail.nasa.gov
Found the link….. http://spotthestation.nasa.gov
I miss Chris Hadfield, I only copped onto him for his last 3 months but what a guy, made science so interesting
I read his book and watched Space Oddity on YouTube. Does that count as a sighting?
Would it be half as bright if there were only three astronauts on board?
“The aircraft. . . .”? It’s not an aircraft, it’s a spacecraft. I know this isn’t National Geographic, and a lot of people are no longer bothered about punctuation, spelling or grammar, but it would be good if we could preserve the meanings of at least some words. Then we might have a chance of understanding each other.
Welcome to the journal – where we strive to get things wrong.
They’ve fixed it on the sly –
None of these idiots will notice they said
Well, at least they fixed it, I guess that’s progress of a sort.
“The aircraft will be visible over Ireland for the next four nights”
Sorry for the pedantry but it’s not an aircraft =p
Awesome sight. Science at its best.
I tracked it with a powerful telescope on its last pass over Ireland. I could even read the letters on its underside!
G -A -R -D -A
Report your sighting… Why? We know where it’s gonna be and be seen from.
Oh yes so astronomy ireland can pound you with emails……
Hope I get abducted and probed! #YOLO
It’s not an aircraft. It’s a spacecraft. There is no air up there.
Eh – iv seen it loads of times.
It does this a few times a year
Err, don’t harsh the scientific dudes’ buzz – they get ratty!:-D
Been there.
Nice spot.
Great views.
Aircraft??!! Come on guys in fairness. SPACECRAFT.
This has been passing us around tea time for a couple of weeks already.
Looks like a standard phone box to me!
Seems like a strange story? It’s visible on average 2 or 3 times a week – you can get notifications for your area from spotthestation (.com possibly? Either Google it or search for it on NASA’s website)
have your say